PHEV mod under way, Bristol, UK.

At 9/gallon for fuel I cant blame you. Its a shame the UK government taxes the people so much.

 

Cool. I look forward to following your progress.

I'm planning to do this when battery tech/prices make economic sense. I'm in Quebec and electric is hydro here, about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Are you expecting to save money or spend more than on gas once the battery replacement costs every 2-4 years is factored in ?

 

Yes, I'm expecting electricity prices to rise here too, even though its from a massive hydro-electric facility. There is surplus that is sold to the US so that and increased usage will keep the price rising IMO.

I've figured now that I will save over half of my heating bill by converting from oil heat to electric. (I'm going with a geo-thermal heat pump though to multiply my savings by 4.) Many others will do the same I'd bet.

And if electric cars become popular, gov't will lose "road taxes" they place on petrol. So I think something will have to give there and road taxes will be collected on electricity or by a new tax on EVs.


Anyway, I'm looking forward to smart meters that will allow us to recharge at night when rates will be lowest. Assuming this SAVES me money.

 

Good luck on your project, I too am interested in the assignment.

 

keep us posted! there hasn't been a real easy guide for a DIY phev prius project, but im waiting for the better batteries since those lead acids are way too heavy for my tastes

 

I'll try to provide a real easy guide for you. I had to redo my entire conversion but now I got it to fit under the rear deck. The mount I made sits so that there is no need for drilling any holes in the Prius. Also I can relocate the bumper plug so you don't have to even drill the bumper if you don't want.

 

The gasket seal for the hatchback (Boot?) has enough play so you can lay a power cord on it, shut the hatch, and it won’t hurt the cord. I know people who prefer this method because you won’t need to drill your bumper. There are a few other ways but some like to keep a cord on a self-retracting reel so the cord is easy to deal with.

Please keep in mind you have to first plan the conversion backwards and then start to build it.

• What batteries are you going to you and what are their physical dimensions? Will they fit under the floor in the back or will the stick up?
• What charger will you use and what is its physical dimensions? Will it get hot? Will you need to provide venting?
• Do you plan to keep the spare tire in place, or will you throw it in the boot, or will you leave it at home.

After that install the Can-View, and run the wires to the boot. Tap the Prius Main battery. Tap the Prius Main Battery Fan. Tap power from a power plug up front and run the wires. Do Not Tap the Accessory Battery. (For safety, you need the control board power supply to shut off when the car is off.) Buy the control board and then you just have the battery box left to build. All your wire will be run, your car will be back together, and you can just drive your car as is until you get your batteries in.

There will be work to do on the batteries before you put them to use. You will have to balance them first.

 

aminorjourney,
Adding just one extra Prius battery will not give you much range, but it does work. The PiPrius system works too, but if you are going to use
"20 -12v 20amp sealed batteries (SLA) like me, you do not have to use the Manzanitamicro and you can go with a cheaper charger.

The Manzanitamicro is a great product that is also a DC to DC converter, so you can use fewer larger batteries, thereby saving you on battery costs. So if you wanted to use say nine larger 12 volt batteries you could end up paying less for the batteries and when it comes time to get a new pack you would buy fewer. This system has more upfront cost but it does work great.

On the other hand, if you are going to get the sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries you can save money on the charger.

The goal here is to provide the Prius with extra energy of about 240volts DC. either way will do it. Please remember 240vdc can be deadly so you need to have a professional do the final connections or you need to get trained to do it safely. I am sure you can find a professional fellow Prius driver to help for the cost of some home made biscuits, and a really hot cup of tea.

The biggest problem with these conversions is the same as it has always been for the past twenty years. Battery Management! You will need to start learning about Battery Management Systems (BMS).

Now think what would be more difficult to manage, 20SLA batteries, or a minimum of (Don't Quote Me!) about 76 or so, and up to several hundred Li-Ion Batteries. Knowing that each cell must stay balanced (the same voltage) with all the others, and preferably during discharge just as much as during the charge cycle.

It can be done but it is a real PITA!

Please understand I knew nothing about electronics or High Voltage Safety before I started. No one does. We all have to start somewhere and this is something anyone who wants to learn, can do safely. Driving your Plug-in will be just “Plug & Play†but building and maintaining the system won’t be. This is why most people will wait until the big auto makers finalize their systems. For some like me, I could not wait. I for one like being able to drive using Clean Wind Energy. I have been doing that for over a year in a major U.S. city. I drive in downtown Houston giving off no tailpipe emissions. Mostly nobody here cares, but I do.

 

Hello aminorjourney

I passed a deep red Prius with "plug in hybrid" in white lettering this morning at Longwell Green, I am guessing it was you, but anyway the lettering worked because I looked up this thread. Good luck with the modification. KV55.

 

i hope you are right...but for my area, it aint so!!! Puget Sound Energy has just applied for a 27% rate hike!!!

can you believe that!~!.... now my Zenn will cost me a fortune to drive... im probably looking at least paying $15 a month to drive that thing... bummer....gone are the days when i only paid $12....

 

All these plug in companies will go bye bye in 11 months when the 2010 prius hits the streets.